Story Three: A Celeste in Time Saves Nine
by SpelCastrMax
Summary: Aladdin thinks it's best for the palace's newest guest to stay home for an adventure, but she has other plans.


STORY THREE: A Celeste in Time Saves Nine  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em and you know it.  
Author's Note: These are the characters you will be unfamiliar with.   
Kalil: Aladdin & Jasmine's teenaged son who wouldn't mind some peace in Agrabah, but still can't back down from an adventure.  
Almira: Aladdin and Jasmine's daughter who loves clothes and helping her older brother sneak out.  
Celeste Nomad: A teenaged girl from the future who is stuck in Agrabah because of her selective memory loss.  
Story 2 had these three characters become friends and revealed the beginning of a villainous plot against Aladdin.  
(And now I know that Cassim is spelled with a "C". Thanks everybody. I'm never sure.)  
  
  
Aladdin watched the frozen ground to search for solid landing place Carpet could stop at. Beside him, Jasmie adjusted her thick boots and made sure her jacket was buttoned. Kal and Mira were amused by the clouds appearing with each breath. Abu had curled himself up in Mira's arms and Iago rode shivering on Kal's shoulder. Genie floated alongside. However, instead of watching the sky, he was searching his lamp for something.  
"I know I had a seven league pogo stick in here somewhere," he muttered, glancing up just in time to run into a mountain peak. "Ow."  
"Okay, let me see if I understand this," Mira spoke up, "Grandfather was snooping around a wizard's treasure and as punishment, he was sent to the Frozen North. Now we have to save him from some creature the wizard left to make sure he never leaves."  
"That's what the witnesses said," Aladdin explained.  
Kal questioned, "And why couldn't Celeste come?"  
"It's not safe," Jasmine told them, "She's not used to our time yet."  
"I don't think she cared about safety," Mira commented, "She wasn't very happy when we left."  
Iago turned around to survey where they had been and noticed that Carpet's tassels were tied up. "What happened to you?" he asked.  
"Probably Celeste," Kal answered for the rug, "When she's upset she tries to tie everything in sailor's knots."  
"Poor kid," Iago said, then received a curious expression from the rest of the group. "What?! I'm allowed to show sympathy sometimes! I'm not heartless!"  
Aladdin ordered Carpet to touch down by a giant foot print in the ice. There was a forest of ten foot tall icicles leading up to a cavern, like the fence around a house. Al was in the lead as they followed the three toed imprints. Kal and Mira were in the back where they would hopefully be the last to trigger any traps.  
They hadn't gone very far before the teens heard a crash from behind them. Quietly seperating from the rest of the group, Kal and Mira found Celeste laying on the ground with Genie's seven league pogo stick still in her hands.  
"That thing is very hard to steer," she commented, picking herself up.  
"What are you doing here?!" Kal harshly whispered, "It's dangerous."  
"If you people want me to join in, then I'm joining. It's boring at that palace," Celeste explained, "I doubt I was ever so bored in my own time."  
Mira cocked her head to one side as she watched Celeste shake in the cold. "Genie says your time is full of technological entertainment that turns the kids' brains into pudding."  
Celeste said with a shrug, "I can't remember."  
"Thus proving Genie's theory," Kal put in as he unbuttoned his heavy coat.  
"You aren't dressed for the Frozen North," the princess pointed out as she removed her own gloves.  
"Well, I didn't know that was where we were going," Celeste explained before thanking her friend for the gloves. Kal wrapped his coat around her shoulders, realizing just how cold it was as the weather bit through the thermal shirt Genie had given him to wear.  
"You better stay behind the rest of the group. I don't know what Father will say when he finds out you followed." Kal took the pogo stick, then, he and Mira caught back up with everyone. "Genie, I think you dropped this," the prince said handing the pogo to the blue man.  
As they followed the footprints, Celeste chose a different path deciding to explore a little bit so Aladdin wouldn't find her so early in the adventure.  
Aladdin and Jasmine led the group into a high ceilinged cavern made of glaciers. Off to one side was an ice sculpture of a man, which Mira and Genie inspected.  
"Not exactly to my taste," the genie said turning into an art critic wearing a black beret, "I am not a fan of statues you can stick your tongue to."  
Mira inspected the statue and released a gasp. "Grandfather!" The ice man was Cassim, trapped in a panicked pose.  
No one had to ask what had happened to him because the cause walked through the entrance, blocking their escape. The monster was covered with thick gray hair from his pointed head to his six stubby toes. His giant mouth opened to reveal bare pink gums.  
"Some monster," Aladdin scoffed, "He doesn't even have any teeth."  
The creature's mouth opened a little wider and, instead of a roar, a silent wind blasted at the group. The gust hit Carpet, Iago, and Jasmine. The three were frozen over in just seconds.  
Genie became a Southern Belle and gasped, "Oh Rhett, what will we do?" He was so busy with his Scarlet impression that he didn't see the ice breath coming at him. Before anyone could warn him, he became a Genie-cicle.  
The giant started towards Mira, Kal, and Abu, but Aladdin called out to the beast, insulting it with his usual witty comments, then leaping about the cavern just out of range for the monster. "Kids, get out of here," he shouted between his taunts.  
With Abu on his shoulder, Kal managed to grab is younger sister's hand and pull her towards the exit. He glanced back just in time to see his dad make a wrong move and be frozen. Mira spun around to see what had put her brother into shock and screamed at the sight of her ice sculpture father. Abu tried to pull the kids out of their trance, only it was too late. The beast had turned around to see them attempting escape.  
Meanwhile, Celeste had discovered a glass case in one of the caverns. Being naturally curious, she pushed open the lid. A loud, long human shout echoed through the blue ice corridors. The noise caught the attention of a second monster, an twenty-seven foot long serpent who hissed at the box then at the person who had opened it.  
"Oh, was that your scream? Sorry, I didn't mean to let it out. I'll just be going now..." Celeste breathed before grabbing the box to shut it. She dashed down the icy hallways still carrying the case. She tried to keep her feet steady on the slippery floor and went back to the fork where she'd separated from the group. The closer she grew the cavern they were in, the louder she shouted, "Snake! Really big snake!" as if it would make him go away. Then, the reptile's jaw fell open and a blast of fire shot out at the girl. "Fire breathing snake! Wonderful. While we're at it why doesn't it just sing country and juggle plates!"  
When she found the group, she ran directly under the legs of the furry, toothless giant and was aghast by the sight of everyone frozen. The serpent followed her in but didn't make it past the entrance. The ice breath creature reached down and to grab the snake's neck. The two began to wrestle. Ice and fire were sprayed about the room. Celeste ran about frantically trying to move her friends out of the fire's path by nudging each statue and letting slid away. In her rush, Celeste dropped the case and it fell open. The shout left the box and was caught by the ice monster. He began to shrink and his hair shed until it was nothing more than a furry coat. The toothless beast was replaced by an old man.  
The man held up his hands and froze the serpent before he could set fire to anything else. Celeste stared with bewilderment, but didn't run. The royal family of Agrabah and friends defrosted to join in Celeste's confusion.  
The man told his story. He had been a rival wizard of the one Cassim had angered and was turned into the ice creature. He could only return to his form when he had his voice back.  
Celeste realized she had saved the day and stepped forward. "See, this is why I should never be left behind."  
Cassim frowned, glancing at his son and daughter-in-law. Aladdin understood that as the "show some discipline" motion, which he never thought was his father's place to give. Still, he did the parental thing and told Celeste, "We'll talk about that back home."  
Mia stared at her friend with wonder. "How did you know that the box would set us all free?"  
"Oh...well, I just...put two and two together..." Celeste stumbled over reasoning to sound like she had not saved the day by accident.  
Genie and Iago came over. Genie told everyone to give the young hero some room. When Mira and Kal had crossed the room to question the ice wizard, Celeste guiltily turned to the blue man and the parrot. "You know I'm not really a hero, don't you."  
Iago landed on her shoulder. "Personally, I'm a big fan of dumb luck."  
  
__________________  
WATCH FOR STORY 4: Arabian Days  
A neglected god takes away the night for some attention. 


End file.
